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New congressman wants more time in Washington

Rep.-elect Allen West disagrees with the new House majority leader about how lawmakers should schedule their time.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Rep.-elect Allen West is unhappy with the schedule set by the incoming majority leader

West wants lawmakers to spend more time in Washington

West says he felt compelled to bring the issue up

Washington (CNN) -- Last year's midterm elections swept some tea partiers into Congress, and some of the new lawmakers are not wasting time making their voices heard.

Before the new Congress has even convened, Rep.-elect Allen West, R-Florida, is taking aim at incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

The issue is over how much time has been scheduled for lawmakers to be in Washington compared to their home districts.

Cantor has scheduled ample time for congressmen to spend time back home, but West disagrees, calling the schedule "disconcerting."

"If they believe that the more time that we're spending up here working toward what's best for the American people is a bad thing, then, you know, what's our purpose for being here?" West said on "Fox News Sunday."

It is more important for lawmakers to spend more time in Washington, he argued.

"Our purpose is to be up here to resolve these issues. Our purpose is to be up here and represent the people. And I think that we're going to have to work a little bit harder starting off especially in these first three to four months than I think that that schedule showed," West said.

West said he felt compelled to bring the issue up even though this is his first year in Congress.